Fate, Choice, Control
by juniper3601
Summary: Meeting you was fate, becoming your friend was a choice, but falling in love with you I had no control over." Bella & Edward meet their Senior year of high school & have an instant connection, but is it that easy?
1. Fate

**A/N: I am in the process of revising and reposting the first three chapters of this story. Sorry to those of you who thought this was a legitimate update.**

**This will be an all human fanfic and the characters will not be 100% canon. I hope you enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Thank you to Project Team Beta for all of your help and thank you to Romance Mary and Nevaehell for their work on this chapter!**

Chapter 1

"Bella, this is Edward." Those four words spoken by my elderly neighbor, Mrs. Clearwater, changed my life forever. It was such a simple sentence and such an everyday occurrence. People are introduced to each other all of the time, but something about that introduction was different.

Mrs. Clearwater lived across the street from my mom in a modest ranch-style home. For the past four years, I had earned extra money by cleaning Mrs. Clearwater's house once a week. She was no longer able to get around like she used to and she knew I could use the money. It really wasn't difficult. I usually finished in about two hours and would then cook a lunch for the two of us. Following our meal, I would stay with her for the rest of the day. We would talk, play cards or look through old photos. More than anything, Mrs. Clearwater and I were each other's companions - a lonely old lady and a teenage girl who ached for something more in her life.

I lived with my mother. My dad had left the two of us before I ever really knew him and he had never contacted me since then. I know this is supposed to be the part where I talk about how I missed having a father figure and all of that, but I really didn't. It was never an issue for me. I had all I needed from him – my last name. I saw him around town occasionally, but had never spoken to him.

I did well in school despite the fact that I never tried very hard. I never put too much effort into it. I just didn't care enough. If my grades were good or bad it was all the same to me.

All I wanted at that point in my life was a change of scenery. Besides a couple of close friends, Mrs. Clearwater was the only bright spot in my life. I was merely biding my time until I could move on to college.

My mom had stopped being too involved in my life around the time I turned twelve. She rarely was at home and usually stayed with whichever guy she was with at the time. I did okay on my own though and Mrs. Clearwater looked out for me. I also had my three best friends: Rosalie Hale, Emmett McCarty and Alice Brandon.

The day I met Edward was the last day before high school resumed for my senior year. I was immersed in the food preparation and listening to music on my headphones. The music's volume was high and it drowned out all of the other sounds in the room. It had been a particularly long week and I just wanted to escape in my music for awhile until I could sit and talk with Mrs. Clearwater.

As I reached into the cupboard to the right of the stove for the spices I would need, I felt a tap on my left shoulder. I spun around and was surprised by what I saw. It was Mrs. Clearwater, but there was someone else with her. I paused my music and removed my headphones from my ears. This is when Mrs. Clearwater spoke those fateful words and introduced me to Edward. Edward Anthony Masen Cullen to be exact.

He was tall – the top of my head only reached his shoulders. His skin was pale like mine and he had this crazy reddish-brown hair that stuck up in all directions. It was messy, but it still managed to look good. A controlled chaos if you will. He was dressed in some non-descript khaki shorts and a t-shirt from a 5K run with a pair of well-worn running shoes on his feet.

He was gorgeous. I had never seen anyone like him before. I felt wholly inadequate. I was just plain Bella Swan. At that time, my brown hair was wavy and hung to the middle of my back. I was in jean shorts, a plan white t-shirt and my well-worn Chuck Taylors.

"Edward is going to be helping me with my yard. His family just moved in to the Piersons' house." Mrs. Clearwater paused and Edward finally looked up at me and smiled hesitantly. His eyes were deep pools of emerald green. Mrs. Clearwater continued, "Edward, this is Isabella, but everyone calls her Bella. She helps me inside the house."

I waved at Edward and managed to say, "Hey." He responded in kind.

"Edward, Bella cooks for me every Saturday and there is always so much. Would you like to join us?"

Edward was silent for a moment so I cut in. "Mrs. Clearwater is right. I'm not very good at cooking for just two. I'm making chicken pot pie today."

"Sure, I guess, but I need to take care of the lawn like I promised," Edward said.

"Nonsense, dear, Bella won't be done for about an hour. Why don't you work until we call you, then you can eat and finish whatever you need to after that," Mrs. Clearwater prodded.

Edward's shoulders rose and fell in a gesture of compliance. "Umm, okay. Well, just come and get me when you're ready." After he said this, he spun on his heel and went out to the front yard.

I stayed glued in place. I had been transfixed by him. The start of the lawnmower brought me back to reality. Turning to continue cooking, I started my music again. When I reached for the cutting board, I noticed Mrs. Clearwater standing there with a twinkle in her eye. I smiled at her and she grinned back at me and went into the front room to pull out the picture albums she wanted to look at after lunch.

One hour later, the food was ready. I called Mrs. Clearwater and asked her to fetch Edward while I set the table and poured three glasses of iced tea.

Mrs. Clearwater came into the kitchen with Edward following close behind her. She sat down at her usual spot at the table and Edward went to the sink to wash up. Once he joined us at the table, we all dished our servings and started eating.

"Wonderful as usual my dear," praised Mrs. Clearwater.

"Thank you." I smiled at her.

"What do you think, Edward?" Mrs. Clearwater asked him.

He looked startled by the question and started chuckling. "Uh, it's great. I was just enjoying it so much I was kind of zoned out there." My smile grew even wider. I loved it when people enjoyed my cooking. Cooking had always been something that I enjoyed.

"Bella, sweetie, Edward is going to be a senior this year too," prompted Mrs. Clearwater.

Edward seemed relieved. "I'm glad to meet someone before school starts. At least I'll know one person now." I didn't envy him that was for sure. Who wants to start at a new school their senior year?

The meal continued in relative silence. When we were all finished, Edward rose. "Guess I had better get back out there."

I cleared the table, put away the leftovers, cleaned up the table and the kitchen and then joined Mrs. Clearwater in the front room. I stood in the entry way watching her. She had dozed off in her chair waiting for me. A hint of a smile played at the edges of her mouth. I watched her sleep for a few minutes. Edward's figure passed back and forth outside of the window as he pushed the mower along. The sound of the machine rose and fell with each pass.

I moved across the room and softly brushed some strands of hair behind her ear. They had fallen out of the bun Mrs. Clearwater always wore. I loved Mrs. Clearwater like a grandmother. She had always lived across the street from my mom and me. Sue Clearwater was my rock – my touchstone. I watched her sleep for about two more minutes before she began to stir. She opened her eyes and smiled up at me.

"Good dream?" I asked her.

"The very best my dear," she replied. "Come sit by me – let's talk. I notice Renee has been home this week."

I grimaced. Renee is my mother. She had indeed been home that week. The shine had worn off of her boyfriend du jour. The only time she was ever home was between boyfriends. I was so accustomed to being without her that every time Hurricane Renee rolled in my whole life was in upheaval. I sat with Mrs. Clearwater and we just talked. It was just what I needed – to sit and be calm and get away from home. We talked for hours.

A knock from the entry way between the kitchen and the front room halted our conversation. Edward was standing there. He was sweaty from his yard work and there was a streak of dirt on his forehead. "Sorry to interrupt, but I'm all done Mrs. Clearwater."

"No problem, Edward. Let me get my purse to pay you both." Mrs. Clearwater stood and padded off to her bedroom. I stood up slowly, my muscles protested from sitting in one place for so long.

As I walked into the kitchen, I told Edward, "Hey, I packed you some of the leftovers to take home for later."

He smiled sheepishly, "Thanks."

Mrs. Clearwater returned and paid us both. I kissed her cheek good-bye and walked out with Edward.

I pointed out my house to him. "So do you have a car?" I asked him.

"Unfortunately, no."

"Would you want a ride to school on Monday?"

"Really? That would be great," he nodded.

"Okay, just walk over by 7:30 a.m. on Monday," I told him. "I'll give you my cell number in case you have any questions tomorrow." I reached for my phone in my pocket, but it wasn't there. "I must have left my phone inside my house – come in for a minute."

He followed me inside and I ran upstairs to get my phone. When I came back downstairs, Edward was standing there with a piece of paper in his hand. He held it out to me. I looked at it and recognized my mother's handwriting.

_B – _

_Going out._

_Mom_

I sighed in relief. The house was mine again for awhile. I'm sure Edward noticed all of this, but he didn't say anything.

I asked him for his number and called it from my phone. I saved his number and he did the same with mine.

Edward said good-bye and I stood at my door watching him walk down the driveway. I waved at Mrs. Clearwater who was standing at her window and then closed my door.

Later that night, I received a text message. I looked at my phone and saw it was from Edward.

_**Thanks again for the pot pie. –E**_

_**No prob. – B**_

I fell asleep that night feeling very different, but unable to pinpoint the source of that feeling.

**A/N: I will be continuing this story once chapters 2 and 3 are reposted (which will be very soon). Thanks for your patience.**


	2. Mommy Dearest

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Thank you so much to my betas for this chapter – RomanceMary and SingleStrand.**

Chapter 2

Monday morning arrived and I was actually kind of excited to get back to school. It was my last year and the promise of a better future inspired me.

I showered quickly and dried my hair, then stared in the mirror for awhile before dressing. I am fairly plain looking. At the time, my hair was long and brown, falling to the middle of my back. My eyes are brown too. Nothing about me is extraordinary or unique.

I made my way downstairs to get something for breakfast and pack my lunch. Just as I ate my last bite of oatmeal, there was a knock at the front door. I grabbed my backpack and opened the door to see Edward.

I eyed him up and down taking in his appearance. He made simple look good.

"Don't you clean up nice?" I teased him.

"I could say the same for you." We were dressed identically. I had thrown on jeans and a fitted black t-shirt and he was also dressed in jeans with a plain black t-shirt.

"Well you know what they say about great minds." I stepped off my porch and started walking to my truck. I threw my bag in and kept walking down the driveway.

"Did I miss something?" Edward asked, looking confused. "Aren't we going to school?"

"We'll get there, but I need to do something first. Mrs. C takes a picture of me every year on the first day of school."

Edward shrugged his shoulders and followed me across the street. Mrs. Clearwater must have been watching for us because she stepped onto the porch at the same time as Edward and me. I kissed her cheek and as I pulled away I noticed a tear gleaming in her eye.

"Hey now – none of that," I scolded her.

"Sorry dear, but this is the last first day of school picture. I just can't help but be a little sad."

I was silent. I couldn't remind her that this was happy for me, not sad. I didn't want to hurt her more.

Mrs. Clearwater arranged Edward and I on her porch and started clicking away. Edward's arm was draped across my shoulders. I should have felt uncomfortable. I barely knew him after all, but something just felt right. I was relaxed and the guilt I felt from being happy to leave melted away.

Mrs. C finished taking her pictures and sent us away with well wishes for a great first day of school. Edward and I climbed into my truck and I roared off to school. Driving was another one of my escapes. Between the therapy that was driving my old truck and the calm aura from Edward, I was relaxed and peaceful when we reached the school.

I parked next to Rosalie's sleek, red BMW and got out. When Edward asked what my schedule looked like, I handed it over to him so he could compare them. He examined our schedules and determined we only had sixth period Literature & Composition together. Inexplicably, I felt my chest tighten knowing I wouldn't see Edward until lunch – maybe not even until sixth period. I shook off the feeling as we approached Alice, Rosalie and Emmett. They were waiting at one of the picnic tables in front of the school – same place as always. I hugged each of them, placing a kiss on each of their cheeks in greeting. I introduced Edward to everyone and they all fell into easy conversation.

While my friends made small talk with Edward, I kept mostly quiet. Emmett, Alice and Rosalie were the only three people besides Mrs. Clearwater that I had let into my life. I preferred to keep my attachments to others at a minimum.

Rosalie Hale and I had been friends the longest. She had moved here in sixth grade and against all odds we became fast friends. I had been the quiet bookworm and even then she was a striking beauty. She is a fiercely loyal friend and I can always count on her to be in my corner no matter what. She was the most beautiful girl at our school. She is tall with curves in all of the right places and long, shapely legs. Her long blonde hair is wavy and always perfectly coifed.

Emmett McCarty, like me, had lived in Forks, Washington his entire life. He and I had always known each other, but had operated in separate circles. Then, freshmen year, we had Spanish class together. Señora Miller had assigned the two of us to be partners for the duration of the school year. At first, I was apprehensive to be paired with him. The summer before ninth grade he had experienced a growth spurt of epic proportions. He had morphed to over six feet tall with giant muscles. My fears were unfounded though. Emmett was a giant teddy bear. He became a great friend and easily fit into me and Rosalie's little group. He was like the big brother I never had.

Alice Brandon had moved to Forks last year. She is super petite and has this spiky black hair that fits her unique style and personality. On her first day at our school, she marched up to Rosalie, Emmett and I before classes began and announced that she was our new best friend. When she did that, I was at a loss for words. The rest of the kids at Forks High gave the three of us a wide berth. I was always too closed off to be approached. They were all intimidated by Rosalie and the brave few that had made attempts at gaining her friendship were usually quickly swatted away. She had no interest in being friends with anyone that wasn't "100% genuine" and she said that none of the sycophants at this school were worthy of her attention. Emmett had friends outside of our little group, but he preferred spending his time with us.

I learned that day though to never bet against Alice. She was right. She was soon with us all of the time.

I was jolted out of my reminiscing by the warning bell for first period. The five of us went our separate ways, heading off to our last first day of school.

The first day passed quickly. I received several texts from Edward throughout the day. After second period, he sent:

_**-Wish you had more classes with me. –E**_

_**-All alone? –B**_

_**-No. Alice is in Spanish with me – but still wish u were here too. –E**_

After third period it was:

_**-See u at lunch? –E**_

_**-Sure, look for us by the east windows. –B**_

On my way to Lit it was:

_**-I saved u a seat. –E**_

It just so happened that Alice, Rosalie and Emmett were also in Lit with Edward and me. I walked in to find that they had set up shop in the back corner of the room. Edward had claimed the desk in the last row against the wall of the room. Rosalie sat directly in front of him. True to his word, there was an empty desk next to Edward reserved for me and Alice was sitting directly in front of that open seat. Emmett was in the seat in front of Rosalie. I made my way over to sit by them.

"This is going to be so great. I can't believe we all have a class together!" Alice was so excited she was bouncing in her seat.

Rosalie laughed at Alice's enthusiasm. "Alice, this is the only section of this class – of course we all have it together."

I looked over at Edward and rolled my eyes, as he muffled a laugh. Class started then and we had to pay attention to Mrs. Lucas as she reviewed the syllabus with us.

On the ride home from school, I learned that Edward didn't really mind the move – that he hadn't left much behind. He had met Mrs. Clearwater when she drove by his home while he was mowing the lawn. He understood my love for her despite only knowing her for a short time. He didn't press me to talk, but I felt like he would listen if I did open up. It was as if we had known each other much longer than three days.

When we reached my driveway, I parked my truck. Leaving my bag in the truck, I crossed the road to Mrs. C's. This time Edward didn't question me – he just followed. I spent every afternoon following school with Mrs. Clearwater. She would have a snack ready and we would sit and talk. I was happy to have Edward join us. I was worried that he would go straight home. We only had the one class together and lunch and I found myself missing him during the day.

"Sue, I'm here," I called out as Edward and I entered her house. I never bothered to knock at her place. That formality had been dispensed with long ago.

"In the kitchen, Bella," she responded. When I entered the kitchen, I saw she had set three plates on the table and placed a bowl of fruit salad in the middle.

"How did you know to set three places?" Edward asked her.

"Edward dear, I knew you would show up."

Edward raised an eyebrow at me over Mrs. C's head, then shrugged his shoulders and sat down. I was starting to notice that this gesture was a habit for him.

"So do you two have any classes together?" Mrs. Clearwater asked us.

"Only Lit and lunch," we said at the same time.

"That's all?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Edward answered her. His words sparked a twinge in my stomach. All it took was those two words from him to start the butterflies in my stomach.

I zoned out as Edward and Mrs. Clearwater talked. Edward was a very attractive guy. He was also caring and I felt at ease around him. I had a feeling that Edward and I could be great friends. He fit in with our group so easily today. All of these thoughts were flying through my head as I tried to pay attention to their conversation.

We had all finished our fruit salad when Mrs. Clearwater asked us if we had a lot of homework.

"I don't know about Bella, but I sure do." It was obvious Edward was looking for an excuse to leave.

"Well get going you two – I'll see you tomorrow after school." Mrs. Clearwater had picked up the dishes and was heading for the sink. If she had noticed Edward's lie, she didn't acknowledge it. Edward stood, kissed her on the cheek and grabbed the dishes from her. He placed them in her dishwasher as I rose and kissed her good-bye.

"Love you Mrs. C.," I whispered.

"Love you too, Bella," she whispered in return.

When Edward and I were back at my truck grabbing our bags, I confronted Edward about his lie to Mrs. Clearwater. "You don't have to lie when you want to leave Mrs. C's house. She never minds."

"I actually do have some things to go over. Do you think I could come in for a little bit?"

"Um, sure." We walked into my house and I led Edward to the living room. I flopped down on the old couch and motioned to Edward that he could sit on the other half. "So what homework do you have? I can't believe one of your teachers gave homework on the first day."

Edward looked sheepish as he confessed, "I don't have any homework. I just don't want to go home yet and I thought maybe we could just spend some time getting to know each other."

I chuckled. "You really need to stop lying. Ever hear of the boy who cried wolf?" Edward was silent and I felt instantly bad for chastising him. He had already come clean. Why did I insist on rubbing it in? That was my nature though, always on the defensive – hurt others before they could hurt me.

After a minute of uncomfortable silence, Edward spoke again. "Do you stay here alone most of the time?" I was surprised that he had been so observant in such a short period of time. I was also irrationally annoyed that he was starting off with one of the most personal questions. Whatever happened to "What's your favorite color?" or "What do you want to be when you grow up?" I was instantly on the defensive again.

"I like it better this way," I said as I looked him straight in his eyes. I didn't need his pity.

"It was just a question, Bella." His eyes never faltered from mine when he responded.

I exhaled loudly. I had done it again. "Sorry about that – you didn't deserve it."

"Bella, I'm not upset. I just want to know you better. I'm not judging you." He smiled then and the tension was broken. "Come here." He patted the spot next to him on the couch.

I wasn't sure why he wanted me to sit by him, but I decided to trust him and moved down the couch to be next to him. No questions, just trust. When I was next to him, he held up his arm and made a motion with his hand for me to turn around and put my back facing him. I followed his directions.

He placed his hands on my shoulders and started massaging. I responded by involuntarily letting out a moan of pleasure. Embarrassed, I started chuckling.

"I thought you could use that. You seemed really tense," Edward stated. He made no comment about the groan though. I was glad for that. It was embarrassing enough without having to discuss it.

Once some of the tension in my body had disappeared thanks to Edward's magic massaging hands, I spoke up. "My mom's name is Renee. She's barely ever here. She chooses to spend her time with her boyfriends instead. It's been this way for about six years now and I'm okay with it."

Edward stopped rubbing my back, but left his hands resting in the middle of my shoulders, his thumbs ghosting over my neck. "How do you feel about that?"

"It was harder to take when I was younger, but now I don't mind. Rose moved here the same year my mom started pulling away and I spent a lot of time at her house. I also have Mrs. Clearwater."

"Now you have me too," Edward whispered.

I turned around to face him. "I think I'd like that. Friends?"

"Friends," he agreed.

No sooner had the words left Edward's lips, when the front door opened. Renee stumbled in. Her hair was tangled and greasy, her make-up smeared, and she smelled like booze. Her eyes were wild with anger. Obviously whoever she had spent the past two days with had already kicked her to the curb. This was the worst possible scenario. Renee preferred to be the one to end the flings. When one of her boy toys turned the tables on her, it sent her into rages.

"Who the fuck is this?" she spat out.

"Mom – this is Edward Cullen. He helps Mrs. Clearwater in her yard." I figured it would be best if I kept the information I provided her to a minimum.

Edward looked like a deer caught in the headlights. I doubt he had ever been exposed to anyone like Renee before in his life. I was so embarrassed and I was desperately trying to diffuse Renee before she lost it in front of him.

"Mom. Edward was just leaving. He needs to get home for dinner," I lied. I needed an excuse to get him out of there. "Right Edward?"

"Um, yeah – I better get going before my mom worries about me," he said playing along. Edward picked up his bag and shuffled past Renee and out the door.

As soon as he was gone, Renee turned to me. "I hope you're using protection. You don't want to end up like me – one mistake and my life was ruined forever." She was referring to me of course. I am the mistake. It wasn't the first time she had reminded me of this fact, but it still hurt every time I heard it.

"It's not like that Mom," I sighed and ran my hands through my hair.

My mom just turned away from me and went in the direction of her room. I hoped that she would pass out quickly or leave so I wouldn't have to deal with her. I picked up my phone to call Rose. She was always the first person I turned to when things were bad at home. The phone rang and rang before finally switching over to voicemail. "Hey, um, Rose – it's me. Renee's here. It's not good. I need a place to go. Call me."

I tried Alice next. Her phone went directly to voicemail without even ringing. I hung up without bothering to leave a message. I was getting frustrated. Where were they? Why weren't they answering their phones?

I punched in the numbers to call Emmett. He answered after the second ring, "Hey there Bella!"

"Hi Emmett. What are you up to?"

"Not much. I'm in Port Angeles with Mike and Tyler right now catching a movie. Why, what's up?"

He was so far away. It would take him at least an hour to get back here. I screamed inside, but my response to him remained calm. "Renee came home." I didn't need to say any more. He would know what I needed.

Emmett let out a long breath. "Shit Bella. I'll come home right now. I'll pick you up in about an hour."

"No – I'll take my truck. Just call me when you get close." I felt horrible to ask him to abandon his plans, but I needed to get out of my house until Renee either left again or passed out.

My next call was to Mrs. Clearwater. She answered halfway through the first ring. "Hello Bella."

"Hi Mrs. C. Renee's home and she's upset."

"I know. I saw her car in the driveway. Do you want to come over dear?"

"No. Emmett's coming for me." I avoided going to Mrs. C's when Renee was in these moods. I had sought refuge with Mrs. Clearwater when I was younger, but Renee would show up there drunk and make a scene. I decided long ago to keep that drama away from Mrs. Clearwater. Renee knows where my friends live, but she is too afraid of their parents to show up at any of their houses unannounced.

"Okay dear. I'll call you when she leaves."

"Thanks Sue." I told her I loved her and hung up my phone.

I could still hear Renee banging around in her room. I needed to get out of my house as soon as possible. I wracked my brain for a place where I could go until Emmett could get back to Forks. I needed a place I could go – a place where Renee wouldn't know where to find me. I scrolled through the contacts on my phone. It was a short list.

Suddenly, there was a crash from downstairs followed by my mother yelling. "Damn it Bella – where is my leather jacket?" I had no idea where her jacket was and I didn't want to stick around to deal with this issue either.

I threw some clothes for a few days into a duffel bag and grabbed my school bag, mp3 player, phone and keys. I opened my window and dropped the bags down to the ground below. I climbed down the tree outside my window and picked up my bags.

I hurried into my truck and backed out into the street. My old truck chugged down the street. It didn't take me long to arrive at my destination. I left my bags in the car. I wouldn't be here long. This was just a temporary resting place until Emmett got back.

I was nervous and shaking as I stared up at the house. It was Edward's house. I didn't even know if he would want to see me now that he knew how crazy my life really is. I took a deep breath and made my way to the front door and rang the bell. I could hear the chimes echoing inside and then the sound of approaching footsteps.

The door swung open and my mind went blank. All I could do was stare and stutter. Standing before me was one of the most handsome men I had ever seen. "Can I help you," he asked, no doubt wondering who the mentally challenged girl was standing on his doorstep.

Before I could respond, I heard someone thundering down the stairs. "Dad - who is at the door?" I could hear Edward's inquiry before I could see him. He swung around the corner and stopped short when he saw me. "Bella – what are you doing here? Are you okay?"

"Can I come in?" I held my breath waiting for his response.


	3. Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

**A/N: A huge thank you to my betas for this chapter - and arforlines. Thank you also to Project Team Beta.**

**This is the last chapter I am reworking and starting with Chapter 4 all updates will be with new material. Thank you for your patience. I know it has been a long time since I have posted new chapters. Even if I told you how crazy my life has become since the time I posted the un-betaed chapter 3, you would never believe me.**

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

Chapter 3

Edward rushed forward. "Bella – what's going on? Why are you here?" He stopped short in front of me. His eyes were crinkled with worry and searching my face as if he were trying to read my mind.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know where else to go. I can leave." My voice was trembling as I turned to open the front door. I felt so stupid thinking I could come here. Why would he want me to bring my crazy problems into his world?

Edward reached above my head and shut the door. He placed his hand on my shoulder just like he had at my house earlier. I dropped my head. Being near him made me feel so much better. "Don't go," he said.

Still facing the door, I wiped the tears that I hadn't realized were falling and took a couple of deep breaths.

"Edward, is everything okay here?" His father's voice was full of concern. "Why don't you have your friend come in and sit down?"

Edward squeezed my shoulder. "Please come sit down Bella."

I turned and followed Edward into the living room. His house was immaculately furnished. It looked like something straight out of a design magazine. I was afraid to touch anything. My house was just so shabby compared to his. Who knows what Edward thought of it when he was there earlier. I took a seat on the edge of the large white sofa, but I didn't want to get too comfortable. I was sure that when Edward's parents heard about my crazy mother and my unbalanced life they wouldn't want their son to get mixed up with me and my problems.

Edward's father sat in the armchair across from me. He was dressed in a pair of pressed khaki slacks and a black button down shirt. His skin was fair like Edward's, but his hair was blond instead of the copper color that Edward sported. He held a large mug of coffee in his hands from which he would occasionally sip. I couldn't look him in the eyes. I was too ashamed.

Edward sat next to me on the sofa. "Dad, this is Isabella Swan. She works for Mrs. Clearwater too. She cleans her house and cooks some of her meals. I met her there on Sunday."

"Nice to meet you, Isabella. I'm Edward's father, please call me Carlisle." His voice was soothing and calm.

"Bella – please call me Bella." I offered him a tentative smile.

"I'm glad that Edward has been able to meet some people his own age around here. Tell me – are you a Senior as well?"

"Yes I am."

Edward spoke up then, "Bella, you still haven't told me why you're here."

"Um, well you saw how my mom was acting. I just couldn't stay there anymore." My voice dropped a bit as I divulged this information. It wasn't every day I let someone in like this and now I was sharing the gory details of my life with not only Edward, but also his father.

"What happened? Did she hurt you?" Edward's voice was strained. His left hand came up and brushed against my cheek, but he pulled it away before I really even registered the feel of his skin against mine.

"No, she didn't touch me. I just need to stay away while she's there. Mrs. Clearwater is going to let me know when Renee leaves so I can go home."

"You can stay here, right Dad?" As Edward asked this, I looked up at his father. I figured it was just a matter of time before Carlisle asked me to leave.

"Of course you can, Bella." I was floored by the kindness of both Edward and his father.

"Well, that's very kind of you Carlisle, but I can't accept. I don't know you very well and wouldn't feel comfortable imposing upon you in that way - It's bad enough I came barging in here like this unannounced." I smiled back at Carlisle to let him know my appreciation was genuine.

"Don't worry about it my dear. I mean it when I say you are more than welcome to stay. We have a guest room you can stay in tonight – it even has its own bathroom – it's very private." I couldn't believe that they were offering to let me stay there overnight. They barely knew me.

"I appreciate it – I really do, but my friend Emmett is already on his way back from Port Angeles. I'm going to stay at his place tonight." Beside me I saw Edward slightly tense. Just then, my stomach decided to join the conversation and it growled loudly. My face flushed bright red with my embarrassment.

"Are you hungry? Dinner should be ready any time now." Carlisle was smiling as he watched Edward and me from across the room.

I normally wouldn't have agreed, but I was so hungry and something did smell really good. "If it's not too much trouble, I would love to join you."

"Excellent, I'll just go tell Esme to expect one more for dinner." With that, Carlisle left the room.

I looked to Edward. "I'm so sorry. I hope your parents don't give you a hard time after I leave."

Edward looked puzzled. "Why would they give me a hard time?"

"Oh, Edward, I know they're just being polite now, but after I leave they're going to tell you they'd rather you didn't hang around with the 'troubled girl.'"

"Bella, that's not going to happen." Edward placed his hand on top of mine on the couch. "Sit back and relax."

I sunk back into the soft cushions of the couch and turned my head to face Edward. I shut my eyes briefly and exhaled. When I opened my eyes again, Edward smiled at me and crossed his eyes. His goofy gesture broke the tension and I let out a giggle.

"That's better. I don't like to see you upset." Edward reached up and brushed a strand of hair behind my ear and trailed his hand down the length of my hair before lightly tugging on the ends. "I was so worried about you when I left your house. I'm glad to know you're okay and safe."

"Renee never gets physical – she's usually just belligerent," I said, trying to reassure him. The truth was her behavior had become increasingly more erratic and I didn't know what to expect from her anymore.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

I shook my head. "Not really."

Just then my cell phone started playing "I'm Too Sexy" by Right Said Fred. It was Emmett. He had set that as his ringtone last year when I got this phone and I just never bothered to change it. I flipped open my phone quickly so the song would cease.

"Hey Emmett."

"Bella!" Emmett's voice boomed through the phone. "Where are you? I'm back in Forks." He was talking so loud I wouldn't be surprised if Edward's parents could hear him from the kitchen. I held the phone a couple of inches from my ear.

"You're in Forks already? How fast did you drive Emmett?" I chastised him. He had a habit of driving too fast and if anything had happened to him because he was racing to get to me, I never would have forgiven myself.

"Don't worry about it Bella. So, where are you?"

"I'm at Edward's – Renee was pretty bad. I had to get out of there." As I was talking to Emmett, Carlisle returned to the living room. With him was one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen. She had wavy, caramel-colored hair and the same green eyes as Edward. Like her husband, she was impeccably dressed.

Emmett continued, "Jesus. I'm sorry Bella."

"Don't worry about it. I'm fine."

"So are you ready?"

"Um, actually Emmett, I was invited to dinner here." I wanted to stay so I could have some more time with Edward and I was truly hungry. "I'm so sorry. I know you skipped the movie because of me." I felt bad that Emmett had changed his plans to help me and now I was asking him to wait for me to come over. I cringed listening for his response.

"No worries. So where does this Edward live anyway?"

"Um, in Jason Pierson's old house." Why was Emmett asking this?

"Oh, that's pretty close to you. Cool, cool."

"So you're not mad?"

"Nah. See you soon." With that Emmett hung up the phone. I didn't even have a chance to tell him I would call him as soon as dinner was finished.

Edward's mother stepped forward. "Hello dear, I'm Edward's mother – Esme."

I stuck out my hand to shake hers. "Hi Esme. I'm Bella. Nice to meet you." Esme ignored my outstretched hand and pulled me into a hug. I couldn't help but find her embrace comforting – the way a mother's hug should feel. Something I didn't get at home. I pulled back quickly before my emotions ran away with me.

"Dinner is ready now you two." Esme motioned towards a door, which I assumed led into the dining room. Before Edward or I could make a move though, the doorbell rang. A puzzled look passed between Edward and his parents.

"Were you expecting anyone else son?" Carlisle asked. It was kind of him to imply that Edward had been expecting me earlier when the truth was anything but that.

"No. No one knows where I live except Bella," replied Edward.

My heart dropped. The only thing I could figure is that Renee had gone looking for me once she realized I had left and saw my truck in the Cullens' driveway.

I held my breath as Carlisle walked forward to answer the door. I could hear Carlisle greet the person at the door and inquire if he could help them. A loud voice I recognized rang out from the entryway.

"Hello sir. I'm a friend of Edward and Bella." My jaw hit the floor. It was Emmett. What was he doing here?

"Nice to meet you, Emmett. Please come in." Carlisle led Emmett into the living room.

"Hey there Edward! Hey Bella!" Emmett greeted each of us enthusiastically. Once he had slugged Edward in the shoulder, he grabbed me up in a bear hug. I could see Edward's bewildered expression over Emmett's shoulder.

"Emmett, I can't breathe!" He had a tendency to not know his own strength.

"Oops, sorry Bella." Emmett set me down and turned toward Esme. "I didn't know you had a sister Edward." Jesus, Emmett was laying it on thick. I only refrained from rolling my eyes so that I wouldn't offend Edward's family. Esme did look young, but it was obvious she was NOT Edward's sister.

"I don't." Edward's tone was dry and devoid of humor. Esme was blushing like a school girl and Carlisle was standing against the wall with an amused expression on his face. I dropped my head in embarrassment.

"Emmett, this is my wife, Esme," said Carlisle introducing her.

"So nice to meet you Esme." Like I had done when I was introduced to her, Emmett extended his hand to her and just as she had done with me, Esme pulled Emmett into a hug. Emmett minded his manners and pulled away from Esme after an appropriate amount of time. Then with three words, I knew why Emmett had shown up at Edward's house. "Something smells delicious."

"We were just about to eat. Would you like to join us dear?" Esme asked Emmett.

Emmett played coy. "Oh, I couldn't intrude. I just stopped by to say hi to Bella and Edward." If I had been close enough, I would've pinched Emmett right then. I still couldn't believe he had shown up at Edward's to mooch dinner.

"Please join us Emmett – we have plenty of food. Don't we, Edward?" Carlisle deferred to Edward.

Edward didn't respond at first. I glanced over at him to see why he was being so quiet. Edward was staring at me. His eyes were probing as if he were searching for some answer. When Edward realized I had caught him staring, he quickly turned his attention to Emmett. "Um, yeah, you should join us."

"Oh good, it's settled then. Come and eat everyone." Esme radiated happiness as she led us into the dining room.

Emmett behaved himself throughout the meal and he and I excused ourselves shortly after we finished eating. Before I left, I made arrangements with Edward to pick him up before school the next morning.

Emmett walked me to my truck with his arm draped over my shoulder. "I'm so sorry you were alone earlier Bella Bear."

"That's okay. Thanks for changing your plans to be with me." I looked back to the porch as I got into my truck. Edward was standing there with a sad look on his face. I raised one hand to wave goodbye. He returned the gesture and then disappeared back into his house.

Emmett followed me over to his house. What would have been a five minute drive in any normal car was a ten minute drive in my old truck. I knew following me at this slow speed was killing Emmett.

When I arrived at Emmett's home, I followed him inside and down to his basement. His parents waved a hello at me as I passed by the living room.

I dropped onto the sectional couch face-first at the same time he dropped my bags on the floor.

"Great first day of Senior year, huh?" Emmett sympathized with me.

"Peachy." My voice was muffled as I spoke into the cushions of the sofa.

"You know what you need?" I could hear Emmett rustling around near the entertainment center.

"No –enlighten me." I was still face down on the furniture.

Emmett switched his tone to an effeminate lisp. "You my fabulous darling need to dance!" No sooner were the words out of his mouth then the music was blaring from his stereo. It was a popular dance track. I raised just my head off the cushion and raised one eyebrow at Emmett. He was grinning from ear to ear and was moving just his shoulders and head. As the beat picked up more on the song, he started moving his hips. Then he broke out the big guns and started doing the cabbage patch.

I burst out laughing. "Oh my god Emmett! You are insane!"

"Come on Bella! Get up and dance with me! You know you want to," he singsonged.

I feigned indignation. "Fine, but if I injure myself, I'm holding you responsible."

"Less talky, more dancy," Emmett ordered.

My troubles were temporarily forgotten as I let my reservations go and danced with Emmett. I didn't worry about making a fool of myself in front of him. Emmett had no shame and I knew no matter how goofy I looked as I danced or how big a fool I made of myself he would never hold it against me.

I could always count on Emmett to make me laugh and to keep my mind off of everything. I also knew he was always there to talk for me if I wanted. He could be serious too when he needed to be.

We finally wound down our dancing when Mrs. McCarty asked us to turn it off because they were going to bed.

As I was getting ready to go to bed, I realized I had never heard back from Rosalie or Alice. I pointed this out to Emmett and he informed me that he had sent each of them a text message earlier to let them know I was safe with him.

"You're the best Em. What would I do without you?" I asked him.

"I am pretty special," he bragged.

I rolled my eyes at him. "So modest," I teased.

Emmett had pulled out the blankets and pillows when I was in the bathroom getting ready. He had made up our "beds" on the couch. Whenever I slept over at Emmett's, we each took a side of the sectional sofa. We slept with our heads next to each other.

I lay down and Emmett leaned over and gave me quick kiss on my forehead. "Goodnight Bella Bear."

"Night Emmett."

Emmett drifted off to sleep quickly. His soft snores would sound occasionally in the dark room. I could feel my eyelids growing heavy. Just before I drifted off, my phone beeped with a text message.

_**Goodnight Bella. See you in the morning. –E**_

I replied to his message and then succumbed to sleep with a smile on my face.


	4. La Push Baby

9. Beta One: arfalcon

10. Beta Two:

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Thank you, thank you, thank you to my betas for this chapter arfalcon and kysouza3123_. **

Chapter 4

I was still unable to return to my house the next day. Mrs. Clearwater had called to report that Renee had entertained a group of her friends on Monday night, and by Tuesday afternoon they still hadn't left. When I was finally able to return to my house, it was in a state of complete chaos. The people Renee chose to party with were never known for their cleanliness, or their respect for the property of others. It took me an entire weekend to return the house to a livable condition.

Three weeks passed and during that time period, I had seen Renee only once. Truthfully, it was a little lonely at home, but as long as I wasn't subjected to Renee's cruel taunts and temper, I preferred having the house to myself. I spent a good portion of my time with my little group of friends. There was also my time with Mrs. Clearwater. The common denominator in all of this was Edward.

He was with me in the morning before school. He was at our table during lunch. He was in sixth period Lit with all of us. He rode home with me after school. The afternoons I spent at Mrs. Clearwater's following school – he was there. We would spend time together at one of our houses when we would leave her house. Sometimes Edward and I would skip going to Mrs. C's house and just go straight to one of our houses. On occasion, Emmett or Rose or Alice, or some combination of the three would join us.

One would think that Edward and I would have tired of one another's company since we spent so much time together. In fact, the opposite was true. The more time we spent together, the more I looked forward to spending even more time with him.

It was a Friday evening in early October, and there was little to do in Forks. Edward, Alice, and I were hanging out in Alice's room, listening to music and trying to find something to do for the night. Alice was sitting in her desk chair, slowly spinning in circles. I was lying sideways across Alice's twin sized bed on my back with my head hanging over the side. Edward was sitting on the floor with his back resting against the bed. His head was resting back on the mattress. We were so close that if we had turned our heads towards each other, we would be practically kissing.

"What if we drove into Port Angeles and caught a movie?" Alice suggested.

"Forget it. I already checked what is playing and it's all crap," I responded with a sigh.

Edward turned his face towards me. "What are Rosalie and Emmett up to tonight?" I could feel his warm breath against the skin of my neck as he spoke.

"Emmett is resting before his big football game tomorrow," I answered.

"Rosalie has a date with some guy from Sequim," said Alice. "I think she said his name is Felix."

We tossed around several other ideas to no avail. Finally, after Alice's suggestions of makeovers for both Edward and I were soundly rejected, I came up with a great idea. "What about driving out to First Beach on the reservation? We can take some blankets and just relax by the ocean."

Edward shrugged his shoulders. "I'm game."

Alice squealed and clapped her hands. "Great idea, Bella. This is going to be great, I just know it!"

One hour later, we were on the beach and Edward was busy starting the fire. Alice and I had arranged the blankets next to the fire pit. Alice's Tahoe was backed up next to the fire on the beach with the tailgate open so we could hear the radio.

The fire was blazing in no time and Edward joined Alice and me on the blankets. I was lying on my back, looking up at all of the stars. My head was resting on Alice's legs. Edward lay down perpendicularly to me and rested his head on my stomach. One by one, we each let out a contented sigh.

My right hand came to rest in Edward's hair. My fingers twisted through the strands and gently pulled at random intervals. He let out a small shudder and brought his left hand up to rest on my shoulder, tugging softly on the hair that was draped there. I placed my left hand over his and intertwined our fingers. We lay there just listening to the sounds of the radio and the waves crashing on the shore without speaking for close to thirty minutes. The stress of the past few weeks was slowly melting off of me.

I finally broke the silence and breathed, "It's so peaceful out here, I love it,"

"I can see why you like to come here. How did you discover this place?" Edward inquired.

"Mrs. Clearwater has pictures of this place from when she was younger and her husband, Harry, was still alive. She always used to tell me such happy stories about her time here. One day when Renee was being particularly awful, I decided to see if I could find it. Ever since that day, this is the place I come when I need to escape from it all." Alice just smiled down at me as I spoke. She already knew how special this place was to me.

Alice turned her head sharply toward the bluffs. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Edward responded.

I shushed them and listened for any sounds that might have caught Alice's attention. In the distance, I could hear the faint sounds of a group of people laughing and talking. Their volume was steadily increasing as if they were walking towards us.

"Who would be out here besides us?" wondered Edward.

"It's probably just some of the kids from the rez. No big deal," I answered.

No sooner had I spoken those words, a group of Native American boys came close enough to the light of the fire that we could clearly see them. They were all tall and muscular with dark skin. They were built more like men than the teenagers they were. Their hair was shiny and jet black. Each of them was handsome in their own way.

The boy at the front of the group spoke first. He looked at me and tilted his head to the side, "Hey, I've seen you here before, haven't I?" He was tall, but not quite as tall as some of the others. His hair was cropped to about the same length as Edward's and was spiky on top. He seemed older than the rest of the group.

I had never seen him before. I was sure I would remember seeing such an imposing and good looking guy. "I don't think so."

"Yeah, I see you here a lot, only you're normally by yourself," he replied. "I run along the tree line up there and I see you down here," he said as he pointed toward the bluffs.

One of the boys from his group spoke up then. "What are you some kind of stalker, Sam?"

"Can it, Paul," the first boy shot back.

By this time, Edward and I had sat up. "So I take it your name is Sam?" I asked of the first boy.

"Yeah, I'm Sam Uley."

"Good to meet you, Sam. I'm Bella, this is Edward, and this is Alice," I said as I pointed at each of them.

Sam nodded at each of us and started pointing out the members of his group. "Let's see, the wise ass who called me a stalker is Paul, and then we have Jacob, Embry, Quil, Seth, and Jared." Each of the boys raised their chin in greeting as they were introduced.

"Why don't you guys join us?" Alice suggested.

The guys all plopped down around the fire. A couple of them had backpacks that they pulled off their shoulders. The boy that Sam had identified as Jacob reached into his bag and pulled out a couple of bottles of beer. He held out one of the bottles of beer to me, "Want one?"

I shook my head. "No thanks." I had never been a big drinker. Dealing with Renee's bad habits had convinced me to stay away from alcohol. My refusal didn't seem to faze Jacob. He just moved on to Edward and offered him the beer.

"No thanks, man." Edward refused the drink as well. Jacob just moved on again and offered the bottle to Alice.

"Sure, why not," she acquiesced. I didn't have a problem with my friends drinking and she knew that. She twisted the lid off and took a drink as Jacob took a seat next to her.

He was one of the tallest of the group. Alice was truly dwarfed sitting next to him. His hair was long. His ponytail reached the middle of his back. He was wearing a pair of cargo shorts with a grey t-shirt and a well worn pair of black Converse. The sleeves of his t-shirt strained against his biceps. I was surprised at the clothes he was wearing. It seemed like he should've been cold in October, especially as close to the water as we were sitting.

Edward and I were the only two not drinking, but no one made an issue of it. I was relieved. It was a pain in the ass to justify my decision not to drink. I never got on anyone's case for drinking so what did they care if I abstained?

Edward moved to sit between Alice and me. To my left was Paul. He and I struck up an easy conversation. He was a also senior at the high school on the reservation. I couldn't help but notice how breathtakingly handsome he was. He was slightly shorter than Sam and their hair was cut similarly. He was more muscular than Sam. He had kicked off his tennis shoes and dug his feet into the sand. His dark wash jeans were slung low on his hips and every time he raised his hands, the hem of his shirt would creep up just enough for me to catch a glimpse of that beautiful cut that ran from his how down towards his. . .

"Bella – Earth to Bella!" I was drawn out of my daydream by Alice.

"Huh, what?" I looked up at her. She had a knowing smirk plastered on her smug little face. I looked from her to the others around the fire. Everyone was staring at me, including Edward and Paul. My cheeks blushed bright red and I wanted to crawl under one of the driftwood logs and die.

"Welcome back, space cadet," Alice teased me.

"So, are you in?" Jacob asked me.

"In for what?" I was still lost.

"We're going to play 'I Never'. Are you in?" Sam answered.

"Isn't that a drinking game?" Edward queried.

"Yes it is," laughed Embry as he raised a bottle of tequila over his head. The rest of the guys let out a couple of whoops.

"Sorry guys. I'm not much of a drinker," I said as I shrugged my shoulders.

"Hey, can we just let Bella play with water or something? We will still be able to see if she drinks, but this way she doesn't have to worry about alcohol," Alice suggested.

"That's fine with me," Paul agreed and then deferred to the rest of the group. "Guys?"

Everyone agreed to modify the rules for me. I was grateful they were all so understanding.

Jared produced a sleeve of paper cups from his backpack and passed them around the circle. Once we each had our cup, Embry filled them with tequila.

"For the lady," said Sam as he filled my cup with water.

"Okay, I'll start since it's my bottle," said Embry. "You guys know how to play, right? We go around the circle and each make a statement that starts with the words 'never have I ever'. If that statement is true for you, then you take a swig of your drink. If it's not true for you, then don't drink. Got it?"

"Got it. Let's get going already," Quil exclaimed.

"Eager to lose are we?" Paul teased him.

"Screw you, Paul," retorted Quil.

"Okay, okay, here goes," interrupted Embry. "Never have I ever stolen anything." Paul, Jacob and Sam all took a drink.

Quil was next. "Never have I ever gone cliff diving." All of the guys took a drink.

"Seriously?" I asked. "All of you have been cliff diving?"

"It's kind of an unofficial rite of passage around here," explained Jacob.

"And you?" I asked as I turned to Edward.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I was on vacation."

"It's a rush, isn't it?" Embry asked Edward.

"Absolutely," Edward responded.

"Okay, my turn. Time to spice this game up a little," interrupted Jared. "Never have I ever gone streaking." All of the guys from LaPush took a drink.

Sam was next. "Never have I ever bought condoms." I was the only one to not drink for that one. I had a feeling that was how the majority of the game was going to progress from there. It's not like I'm super innocent, but I'm sure my level of experience is far below anyone else in this group.

Paul thought for awhile before he finally asked his question. "Never have I ever watched porn." I guess I had spoken too soon. We all took a drink for that question, even me.

Edward raised an eyebrow at me. "Really?" His interest was piqued.

Alice started laughing. "She watched it with Emmett!"

I shot her a dirty look. "Okay, Alice. That's enough," I said through my gritted teeth.

"I guess I didn't realize you and Emmett were so. . . close," Edward said. A brief look of concern passed over his face like a fast moving cloud passing by the sun.

"It was a one time thing – I was curious about it and Emmett has a large collection," I said as my voice trailed off. The blush was returning to my face. I changed the subject. "It's my turn, right?" Jacob and Embry nodded their heads in response. I thought for a minute. "Never have I ever smoked a cigar."

I was surprised to see that no one took a drink.

"Okay, well in that same vein, never have I ever smoked pot." I was relieved Edward's question was non-sexual, even if I was the only one to not take a drink.

Alice had an evil gleam in her eye when it was her turn. "Never have I ever given a blow job." I wanted to kill her. Alice and I both had to drink.

Seth feigned like he was going to drink, but at the last minute he put his drink down. "Had you going there didn't I, fuckers?" The group was laughing at Seth and teasing him.

Jacob's question was surprisingly sappy. "Never have I ever been in love." No one took a drink.

"Wow, Jacob, way to bring the party down. Now we're all depressed at what a bunch of loveless losers we are." Paul was laughing as he teased Jacob.

"Seriously man, what the hell kind of question was that?" Jared was looking at Jacob like he had grown a second head.

"I guess it's up to me to bring this game back to the appropriate level of debauchery," said Seth. "Never have I ever had sex." Alice, Seth and I did not drink. Seth endured some good-natured ribbing from his friends before the game continued.

By the time we called it quits, Quil and Embry were drunk with their arms slung around each other's shoulders singing along to the music coming from Alice's vehicle and occasionally telling the other, "I love you, man." Seth was asleep next to the fire, Jared and Sam were in a heated debate about the Seahawks offensive line, and Alice was braiding Jacob's long tresses into an intricate pattern. I winced as I imagined the trouble Jacob would have removing the hairstyle in the morning.

Edward had developed a good buzz during the game. He placed a couple of our blankets against a large driftwood log. He lay resting his back against the log, supported by the blankets. "Come sit next to me, Bella." He patted the sand next to him. I moved to sit next to him and Paul moved in and sat on my other side. Both guys wrapped an arm around my shoulders but somehow still managed to not touch each other's arms.

"So, little Bella, tell me more about watching this 'adult move' with Emmett." Edward made air quotes as he questioned me.

"Yes, Bella. Tell us ALL about this movie," Paul prompted. "Any memorable scenes?" He waggled his eyebrows at me.

My cheeks blushed as I remembered bits and pieces of the movie. "Umm, like I said before, there isn't much to tell," I sputtered. "I was in Emmett's room one day looking for my shoe. I was checking under the bed and came across the movie. I pulled it out to confront Emmett. Instead of being embarrassed like I thought he would be, he was proud. I should've known that would be his reaction."

"So how exactly did you two decide to watch it together?" Edward asked. "I'm still unclear on that point." His voice had a slight edge to it. I wrote it off as an effect of the alcohol.

I took a deep breath and continued, "Uh, Emmett couldn't believe I had never seen one before. He dared me to watch five minutes of it with him. Against my better judgment, I accepted the dare."

Paul let out a short laugh. "Did you even make it through the five minutes or did you make him turn it off right away?"

I covered my face with my hands. I was too embarrassed to look at either of them. "Technically, yes."

I felt a hand on each of my arms as Paul and Edward each pulled one of them back. Edward was the first to speak. "Technically? What does that mean?"

"Well, the movie did play for longer than five minutes, but our attention wasn't on the screen after awhile." My face was burning so deeply I thought it entirely possible that I would burst into flame at any moment.

"So, what? You just left it on while you kept looking for your shoe or talked or . . ." Paul's voice trailed off as he came to a realization. His face broke out into a wolfish grin. "No wait, did you two get _into_ the movie?"

I heard a sharp intake of breath from Edward as I closed my eyes and nodded my head. "Oh, God," I moaned, "This is so mortifying."

"Relax, Bella, you're only human. We don't think any less of you, do we, Edward?" Paul reassured me.

"Of course we don't," agreed Edward. We changed the subject and the three of us talked quietly until it was time for Alice, Edward and me to head back to Forks. We exchanged numbers with the guys with tentative plans to get together in the future. I enjoyed hanging out with them. They accepted us into their group with ease and I felt comfortable around them in a way I had only experienced with my small group of friends.

Alice chattered away on the drive home, making sure to remind us how she told us we would have a great time. I pulled my phone out to check the time and noticed I had a waiting text message. It was from Emmett.

_**~Hey babe. What's shakin? – E**_

I took a deep breath and sent a reply. It was only fair I told him the truth.

_~Em, I'm sorry. I let the cat out of the bag. – B_

His reply came quickly.

_**~?Explain? – E**_

_~I told Edward and some other guys about "Indiana Bones and the Temple of Booty"_

I heard Edward snort behind me. The little sneak had been leaning forward to read over my shoulder.

"Do you mind, this is a private conversation," I leveled a glare at him as I spoke.

Edward set his lips in a firm line and sat back in his seat. He didn't say anything. Emmett's reply flashed on the screen of my phone:

_**~Lol. Are u ok? How did this come up in conversation? – E**_

_~We were playing "I Never". Of course one of the questions had to be about watching porn and then sweet little Alice had to throw in a question about bjs – B_

_**~U were drinking? – E**_

_~No, not me. Everyone else was. Don't worry. – B_

_**~Are u sure ur ok, honey? – E**_

_I'm sure. Now get some sleep. Good luck tomorrow. Love you. – B_

_**~Love u. Muah. – E**_

I read the last text from Emmett just before Alice pulled up in front of my house. "Good, doesn't look like Renee's here." I sighed in relief. I leaned over and placed a small kiss on Alice's cheek. "Love you babe."

"Love you more," she replied with a smile.

I turned in my seat to say good-bye to Edward, but he was already out of the vehicle and at my door opening it for me. He helped me out and then leaned in to talk to Alice. "I'll just walk from here." Alice merely shrugged and took off in the direction of her house.

"I don't want to go home. Can I sleep here tonight?" Edward asked as he looked up at me from under his eyelashes.

I didn't respond with words. I just held out my hand. He placed his in mine, intertwining our fingers and we walked into my house together.

**A/N: Please feel free to leave a review or constructive criticism.**


	5. Choice

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Thank you for your patience with my slow writing. I was going through a separation and divorce, moved across the country, starting working full time and generally just needed to get myself together. Fun fact! My divorce is final on 2/13. Yep, that's right - the day before Valentine's Day. Who says the universe doesn't have a sense of humor?**

_Previously:_

"_I don't want to go home. Can I sleep here tonight?" Edward asked as he looked up at me from under his eyelashes._

_I didn't respond with words. I just held out my hand. He placed his in mine, intertwining our fingers and we walked into my house together._

Chapter 5 - Choice

Edward kept a tight grip on my hand as we made our way into my house and up the stairs to my room. I paused at the door to my room and turned to face him. "Why are you here, Edward?"

He let out a breath. "Two reasons: One - I'm not ready to stop spending time with you tonight; and, two - I don't want you to be here alone in case Renee comes home tonight."

"What makes you think Renee will come home tonight?" Even if my question didn't express it, I was touched that he was worried about me dealing with Renee alone. It was a testament to how quickly we had become close friends.

He shrugged, "No real reason, but it just seems like it's been about three weeks since she's been here for any length of time. The odds aren't stacked in your favor. It will only be a matter of time." I nodded my head in response. I knew his words were true.

"Um, do you mind staying in my room with me?" I asked him. "It will be best for both of us in case Renee does come home."

"Of course, I don't mind, silly," he smiled at me.

We entered my room and I made my way over to my stereo, turning it on, letting the music fill the silence. I turned to make my way over to my bed and saw Edward was already sitting down on it, his back leaning against the headboard. I flopped down next to him and turned my head to smile up at him. He smiled back at me and reached out to tug on the end of my hair. It was becoming a habit of his.

We laid there in relative silence, the music from the stereo the only noise in the house. However, my mind was far from silent. It was racing with thoughts and questions that had been filling it since our drinking game with the La Push guys. I finally worked up the courage to bring up my questions with Edward.

"Edward, when we were playing 'I Never' earlier, you drank when Seth took his first turn."

"Remind me again what he said." Edward had a puzzled look on his face.

"Oh, um, he said 'Never have I ever had sex'," I managed to choke out.

"Okay," he drew the word out, making it sound like a question.

"So, um, was that true, have you – had sex, I mean?" Despite my mother's proclivities, I had led a relatively sheltered life when it came to things like boys and sex. True that Rosalie was always popular with the guys, but due to my shyness, getting close to guys hadn't been easy for me. Besides, its not like my high school had a great selection. I'd rather go without than deal with the likes of Mike Newton and Tyler Crowley. Rosalie had long ago started dating guys from the surrounding area versus those in Forks.

Truth be told, I had never really given sex a second thought until I found Emmett's movie.

"Yes, Bella, I have," he replied in an even tone. "Why do you want to know?"

I was blushing quite severely by this point. "Um, just curiosity I guess. Do you mind talking about this with me?"

He shook his head. "Not at all, I'm just kind of surprised that you're bringing it up. You can always ask me anything."

Once Edward said that, I felt reassured. He always managed to make me feel so comfortable, no matter what was happening. "So, I can ask you anything?"

He nodded his head. "Anything."

"Have you been with a lot of girls?"

Edward let out a wry chuckle. "That's what you want to know?" I nodded my head. He looked straight in my eyes and said, "No. I've only had sex with one girl."

I processed this information. "Did you love her?"

"I felt very strongly for her, but it wasn't love. Her name was Carmen and she was a foreign exchange student from Spain. We knew when we started dating that our time together was limited."

"Oh." I didn't know what else to say. "Do you two keep in touch?" What if Edward was holding a torch for this girl?

"Yes, Bella, we do. We e-mail each other a couple of times per month. I've told her all about Forks and the friends I've made here – especially you and she keeps me up to date about her life and her new boyfriend, Eleazar."

I was doing a happy dance on the inside. _Boyfriend! She has a boyfriend! He tells her about me! She has a boyfriend and Edward doesn't love her. _At that time, it never occurred to me to wonder why I cared so much about these facts.

Edward and I talked for another hour or so before we began drifting off to sleep. The last thing I remember from that night is Edward's voice wishing me good night, as he held my hand.

We were jolted awake the next morning just after 9 a.m. when both of our phones beeped at the same time signaling incoming text messages. I groaned and rolled over, fumbling for my phone with my eyes closed. I heard Edward groan beside me as he started flailing around, reaching for his phone in much the same manner as me.

The message was a picture from Alice. As soon as I saw it, I burst out laughing. She had forwarded a picture of a very disgruntled looking Jacob. His hair was no longer in the braids and twists Alice has styled for him the previous night and it was sticking out all over the place.

"What the hell?" murmured Edward as he looked at his phone.

I was still laughing. "Hold on, Alice should be calling in 3, 2, 1." I was interrupted by the ringing of my phone. "You ready for this?" I asked Edward before I answered the phone.

I answered the call, "Morning, Alice." And with that, she was off. I listened to her mile-a-minute recap of last night (as if I wasn't there) and then the story of the picture she had just sent to me. Jacob had sent it to her this morning to show her the aftermath of her handiwork on his hair. Edward rolled over and pulled the pillow over his head in an attempt to block out Alice's voice squeaking through the receiver of my phone.

Then, Alice, being the all-knowing, all-seeing pixie, calmly said, "I know Edward is there with you so put me on speaker."

I didn't even flinch, I was accustomed to her abilities. I pulled the pillow off of Edward's head as I pushed the speakerphone button.

"Good morning, Edward." Alice's voice sang out over the line.

Edward sat straight up with wide eyes. When he didn't immediately respond, Alice spoke up again. "I know you're there, Edward. Don't be shy."

"Hi, Alice." Edward finally spoke.

"Okay, now that I have both of you, let's discuss the Homecoming Dance."

I groaned. "Alice, do we really have to do this?" A glance at Edward revealed his eyebrows were arched high with surprise.

"Shush, you. I have everything planned, even your dates and outfits. All you have to do is show up," Alice ordered.

Edward and I finally relented and decided to go along with Alice's master plan. It turns out she had decided the dates for the dance would be:

~Edward & Angela (a nice, shy girl from our school)

~Me & Emmett

~Alice & Jacob

~Rosalie & Paul

~Jared & Kim

~Sam & Emily

Little Alice worked fast. Not only had she managed to rope everyone in her close circle at Forks High into her plan, she also managed to con the La Push guys into it as well. Despite the fact that neither Jared or Sam or their dates did not attend Forks High, I had no doubt that Alice would be able to blend them into the event with ease. She explained that with a few simple swaps at the beginning of the evening, we would all be able to enjoy the night together. Edward and Angela would swap dates with Jared and Kim and Emmett and I would do the same with Sam and Emily.

As Alice continued with her dissertation on the importance of the Homecoming Dance, Edward's arm snaked out and pulled me down next to him. He snuggled his head into my hair and groaned out, "She talks sooooo much." I couldn't stop the giggle that escaped my mouth.

Alice's screech could've woken the dead. "What are you doing? Are you even listening to me?"

"Sorry, Alice, yes we're listening." I answered her. I turned to Edward and hissed in his ear. "You're getting me in trouble." I pulled away from Edward and sat up again.

I let Alice chatter on for a bit more until I felt Edward's hand on my chin, turning my face to look at him. He fixed me with a stare, one eyebrow raised. It was obvious he was becoming annoyed with the continued noise of Alice's chirping.

"I'm sorry." I mouthed to him. I didn't know how to end the conversation with Alice. I had never been good at that. I shuddered internally remembering the three hours of my life lost to her in-depth analysis of nail polish colors I had once suffered through.

Sensing that the conversation was far from over, Edward rose up on one elbow and grabbed the telephone out of my hand. "She'll call you later, Alice." Then, without another word, Edward ended the call and pulled me back down onto the mattress. He pulled the blankets over us all the way, covering our heads. "Shh, sleep now, talk later." I snuggled into his side and drifted back to sleep, his gentle breath sweeping over the top of my head.

I awoke some time later feeling completely relaxed and content. I turned my head to the side and found Edward looking at me.

"How long have you been awake?" I asked him. He just shrugged in response.

I wrinkled my brow to express my frustration at his lack of reply. His hand reached out to smooth away the tension in my forehead. His fingers touched me so lightly, the pads of his fingers ghosting across the furrowed lines. His touch sparked through my body, causing my breath to catch. My facial expression relaxed as I stared into his eyes. There was a fire burning in his eyes and it sucked me in. I couldn't tear my gaze away from his.

I was so engrossed in Edward's stare, that I didn't notice the sound of heavy footsteps approaching my bedroom door. Emmett's sudden loud voice startled a scream from my mouth. "Yo! Bella! Rise and shine, daylight in the swamp!"

Apparently Edward was startled too, he sprung out of my bed, his hands clenched in fists, looking like he was ready to fight. His body relaxed slightly when he realized who the intruder was.

"Jesus Christ, Emmett! You scared the shit out of me!" I yelled at him. "What is your problem?"

"Bella, I knocked at the door for five minutes before I let myself in here. I got worried when you didn't answer the door." Emmett said as he eyed Edward. "What are you doing up here that you didn't hear the door?"

I let out a sigh. "I was sleeping, Emmett."

"Oh, sorry." He looked sheepish. "Are you still coming to my game tonight?"

"Of course I am, you know I won't miss it." I told him. Turning to Edward, I asked him, "Do you want to go to the game with me?"

Edward shrugged and said, "Sure. That should be fun."

After promising Emmett that I would be sure to cheer extra loud for him at the game, he finally left. Once I heard the front door to the house click shut, I flopped back down on my bed face first. "Oh my God! I think I just aged ten years from that scare." I spoke into the mattress.

Edward chuckled and laid back down next to me. "Bella?"

"Yeah," I answered still speaking into the mattress.

"I need to head home for a bit to get showered and change my clothes. Do you want to join me?"

I raised my head from the mattress and turned my head to face Edward. I let a playful smirk grace my features, "Why, Edward, aren't you forward?"

"What? What are you talking about?" Edward sputtered. He was lost. He had no idea how his question had sounded.

"You just asked me if I'd like to shower with you." I snickered. I moved my arm to prop up my head.

Edward grabbed a pillow and smacked me with it. "You know what I meant!" He and I were both laughing pretty hard by this point. Before I knew it, Edward was on straddling me and tickling me.

I have a very low threshold when it comes to tickling. I started begging Edward to stop. The last thing I wanted to do was to pee the bed because of Edward's tickling. "Stop! Edward, stop! Oh my god! I can't. . . . you have to stop. . . Too much. . ." Suddenly the tickling stopped. I looked up to see Emmett holding Edward by the collar with one meaty paw.

"What the fuck is going on in here?" Emmett bellowed. Edward now looked as if he was the one about to piss himself.

"Emmett, put him down!" I yelled back. "Edward was just tickling me! Jesus Christ! What else do you think he's doing? We're both fully clothed! Its not even that way with Edward and me! We're just friends!" I wanted to eat my words as soon as they escaped my lips. I saw a quick look of hurt pass over Edward's features before he schooled his expression.

"Yeah, man, easy. Bella and I are nothing more than friends. I could never think of her as more than that." Edward defended himself.

Ouch! That hurt! I can't believe in my rush to save Edward from Emmett's quick temper that I might have ruined any chance Edward and I had for more than a friendship. I know that I was feeling more for him than just friendship. I felt something intense between us earlier. Did I just kill it? _Dear God, I've been good all my life. Please, help me. _Is it wrong to pay for God to hook you up?

Emmett had the good grace to look a little sheepish. "Hey, I'm sorry, man. I just heard Bella yelling for you to stop and I overreacted. She's like my little sister. I don't know what I'd ever do if something ever happened to her."

"I get it. No hard feelings, Emmett." Edward said, but he was still hanging from Emmett's grip. His toes barely scraping the floor beneath him.

"Emmett, you can put him down now." As soon as those words passed my lips, Emmett released his grip and Edward pitched forward, catching himself on the bed to save himself from crumpling all the way to the floor.

"So, um, I guess, I should go home now, huh?" Edward asked.

"Um, that's up to you." I replied. "Do you still want to go to Emmett's game with me later?"

"Yeah, that would be good. How about we get a whole group of friends to go together?" Edward suggested.

My heart sunk. It was no longer going to be just Edward and me. I think I might officially be in the friend zone now. I did my best to keep my voice and my facial expression light and happy. "That sounds good! I'll just call Alice and have her coordinate everyone. She's better at that stuff than me anyhow." I could see Emmett's face behind Edward. He knew I was faking it. He frowned at me over Edward's head. I shook my head infinitesimally to signal him to just drop it.

Edward slipped his shoes back on and grabbed his coat from the hook on the back of my door. "Okay, well just text me the plans, Bella," and with that he was gone. I held my breath as I listened to his steps descend the stairs. When I heard the front door close behind him, I let the air I was holding in my lungs rush out in a big whoosh.

I turned to Emmett, "So, I'll see you later?"

"Bella, talk to me. What's wrong?" Emmett's eyes were filled with concern.

"Nothing, Em. Go get ready for your game. I'll catch up with you after the game." My tone brooked no argument. Emmett stooped to plant a quick kiss on the top of my head and to ruffle my hair. I smiled up at him and swallowed back my tears. I refused to let Emmett know how quickly everything was changing - how I could feel Edward slipping from my fingers all because of a phrase I uttered in haste. Surely, if Edward did have feelings for me, he wouldn't give up just because of that, would he?


End file.
